Cespedes on DL as A’s rev up roster roulette

The A’s went through 50 players last year en route to their American League West 2012 title, and they are on much the same pace this year.

Michael Taylor is the newest addition to the roster, the Triple-A outfielder getting called up Saturday with Yoenis Cespedes going on the disabled list with a strained left hand muscle.

Thirteen days into a 180-day season, the A’s have made three roster moves, starting seven days ago, when they activated Bartolo Colon while sending Dan Straily down.

Then Scott Sizemore tore his ACL for the second year running and had to be replaced by Andy Parrino. And then came Cespedes with his off-balance tumble at second base Friday night. He tried to play on, but eventually had to be lifted.

That list of roster moves doesn’t count shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima and second baseman Adam Rosales, both of whom had a good chance to make the opening day roster before getting sidelined by hamstring (Nakajima) and ribs (Rosales) injuries.

An MRI Saturday morning revealed there were no breaks or ligament problems in his left hand.

“When you send a guy in for an MRI like that, you’re hoping there won’t be any ligament damage or anything like that,’’ manager Bob Melvin said. “So we have to be happy about that and hope that it’ll just take the 15 days.’’

Cespedes wasn’t in the clubhouse before the game, still on his way back from the MRI visit, but Taylor was, having just flown in from Reno.

Taylor had a so-so spring training, but he’s been tearing up the Pacific Coast League with a .410 average with six multiple-hit games in his first nine. Three of his 16 hits have been homers and five have been doubles, good for a tie for the PCL lead.

“I’ve been really relaxed,’’ Taylor said. “I had a plan, I know what I’ve been doing and I’ve been able to carry it into games. I’m just having some fun, and I’ll be ready when they need me.’’

Coco Crisp, who came out of Friday’s game with groin tightness, isn’t in Saturday’s lineup, either, the A’s being unwilling to risk an injury to another of their starting outfielders.

And Jed Lowrie is out of the lineup for the first time, too, In Lowrie’s case, there is no injury but just a regularly scheduled day off.